I GOTTA get back in gear!

It has been FOREVER since I've posted! I did make Halloween cards but didn't get a single one posted. I also made Thanksgiving cards but, again, didn't get a single one posted. So, figured I might as well start with Christmas! This is one of the many Christmas cards I'll make this year. The "idea" for this card is not my own though. I got a "kit" from a couple of the other ladies in my group last year and a card very much like this one was in that kit. I could be wrong but I am pretty sure the card was designed by Gayla O'Dell. The only major difference between her card and mine is that we didn't have these cute stitched felt pretties last year. Here is a list of the items I used to make this card.

Stamp set: NONE? WHAT?

Cardstock/paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Metallic Silver

Ink: Basic Gray

Other: circle hole punch (for doorknob), mini glue dots, Winter Wishes Stitched Felt, Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up!

Alcohol Splash technique

GEEZ....again....it's been awhile! I can't seem to get my body to conform to my new schedule! I should have started working outside the home at least a few years back. Maybe then I'd be used to being gone and on my feet for about 8.5 hours a day! I'm just so tired by the time I get home that I can't bring myself to create. And, on the weekends I have other things around the house that I have to get done! I do so miss my create time. Anyway, I've found a new fascination with alcohol inks. I used them on the flowers on this card. The technique is called Alcohol Splash. All you need is a piece of glossy cardstock big enough for your images that you want to stamp, 2-3 colors of alcohol inks, black permanent ink (i.e. StazOn), a stamp with open areas and some scissors. Other than the alcohol inks I'm sure most stampers have everything they need. So, you squirt the first color of alcohol ink onto your glossy cardstock. Then, squirt some of the second color. If you are using only two ink colors, use this second color to fill in any white areas on your cardstock. If you are using a third color, you use that one to fill in any white areas. Lift your cardstock while the ink is still wet and tilt it and move it around so that the inks mix. You can repeat with any of the alcohol inks to get the color and mix you want. Then, after the ink is dry (you can use your heat tool to speed the drying) you stamp your image directly on top of the alcohol inks using the permanent ink. Let that dry or use your heat tool again to dry it and then use your scissors to cut out your stamped image. That's it! Use your cut out images on your card or whatever your project is! Here are the items I used to make this card.

Stamp sets: Flower Fest, Full of Life

Cardstock: Glossy White, Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight

Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Melon Mambo

Other: alcohol inks, Big Shot, Finial Press embossing folder, XL Oval punch, XL Decorative Label punch, sponge, Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up! (except for the alcohol inks)

Punched Through Ribbon technique

MAN....I didn't realize it had been so long since I'd posted here! SHAME on me! It's been a busy, busy time for me. First, I had cataract surgery. The left eye was done in mid-July. My right eye was done just a couple of days ago. My vision is WAY better already!

Alot of you know that I volunteer and help run a dog rescue here in Missouri called 7 Bells Sanctuary, Inc. Well, the founder passed away last year. The other volunteer and I have been able to carry on with the rescue. Well, the other volunteer passed away unexpectedly just a few weeks ago. She was our main foster home. Her husband and son are helping out with all the foster dogs at their house. As soon as we are able to find homes or other rescues to take those dogs we will be shutting down 7 Bells Sanctuary. It's so sad for me. Not only have I lost my two best friends over the last year or so but now 7 Bells Sanctuary will also be no more. It has been such a big part of my life for so long. I will really miss it. But, I also know I can't carry on without either one of them.

On top of those two things, I also got a job outside of my "stay at home" law office job and Stampin' Up! I am working at our local pharmacy as a pharmacy tech. NOT an easy job like you might think it would be! I am not picking up the computer part of the job as I had hoped I would. It's been tough and my old bones aren't handling it well. Working a full time job (my law office job) and a part time job (at the drug store) and still have time for my dogs, cleaning house and playing with my Stampin' Up! stuff is more than my body can take most days! I feel every one of my 48 years most days now!
OK...enough grumbling from me! I'll get on to telling you about my card.

The technique is called Punched Through Ribbon. Basically, you punch a shape into the front cover of your card and then use scraps of ribbon to fill in the shape. As you can see I used our Butterfly punch and then used the different Daffodil Delight ribbons to "cover" the hole! Here are the products I used to make this card.

Stamp set: Flight of the Butterfly

Cardstock: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Basic Black

Other: XL Butterfly punch, asst. Daffodil Delight ribbons, Stampin' Write markers in Basic Black & Daffodil Delight, stick on gems (not Stampin' Up!), sponge dauber, sponge

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up! (except the stick on gems)

Pencil Over Ink technique

Do you have things/tools that you bought just knowing that you would use them alot and then find out that you don't use them as often as you thought because you just don't know "how" to use them? That's what happened with my colored pencils. I just HAD to have them but I rarely use them! I use my watercolor pencils all the time but not my regular colored pencils. So, needless to say I was happy when I came upon this technique! Basically, you stamp your image on dark cardstock using white pigment ink. Heat set the white pigment ink and then color over it with your colored pencils. Your image just seems to glow! Here are the items I used to make this card.

Stamp sets: Countryside, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Cardstock: Night of Navy, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Whisper White, Night of Navy

Other: colored pencils, heat tool, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Sizzlets Lots of Tags 1, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

All products (except colored pencils) made by/sold by Stampin' Up!

Frost With A Twist technique

This is another really easy technique that gives a really neat effect. The technique is done on the "background" cardstock. All you do is brayer one color of dye ink onto glossy white cardstock. In this case I used Peach Parfait. Let the inked glossy white cardstock dry completely before continuing. Then, take a piece of wax paper and crumple it up really well. Flatten it out and use your brayer to brayer add ink to the wax paper. In this case I used Cajun Craze on the wax paper. Place the inked side of the wax paper over your cardstock and use to brayer to basically transfer the ink from the wax paper onto the cardstcok. Remove the wax paper and allow the cardstock to dry completely. You can stamp directly onto the cardstock or use it as a background as I did here! See? Told you it was easy. The hardest part is waiting for the cardstock to dry! Here is a list of the items I used to make this card.

Stamp set: Tiny Teacup

Cardstock: Cajun Craze, Peach Parfait, Whisper White, Glossy White

Ink: Peach Parfait, Cajun Craze

Other: brayer, wax paper, 1 1/4" Square punch, Scallop Square punch, gold brads, Peach Parfait 1/2" Stitched-Poly ribbon

All items made by/sold by Stampin' Up! (except for the wax paper of course!)

Tinted Opaques technique

This was another fun and easy technique. All you need is dark cardstock, white pigment ink, markers to color your image, clear embossing powder, heat tool and a bold image stamp! Those are all pretty basic suppies that I'd bet most everyone has. You just stamp your image with the white pigment ink. Then, add the clear embossing powder and heat it. Then, use your markers to cover over the embossing powder. The color will bead on top of the embossing powder. Reheat with the color on top of the embossing powder. Color again (and again) until you get the color you like. The only thing is you have to color small areas and then heat set and then go back again with the same color if needed. After you get the color you want on that one area then move on to the next color. Heat set after each color. That's it! Takes a little time with all the "color, heat set, color, heat set...." but it's not too bad! Here are the products I used to make this card.

Stamp set: Inspired By Nature

Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Always Artichoke, Basic Black

Ink: Whisper White

Other: clear embossing powder, heat tool, Ticket Corner punch, Dotted Scallop Border punch, 1/4" Daffodil Delight Grosgrain ribbon, stick on gems (not Stampin' Up!) and Stampin' Write markers in Always Artichoke, More Mustard & Chocolate Chip

All products (except stick on gems) made by/sold by Stampin' Up!

Fossil Stone technique

My picture didn't come out good enough to really show you what this technique looks like. But, I like the card so I decided to show it to you anyway! The "splotched" lighter background piece is the piece with the technique. The basics of the technique are pretty simple. You need a plastic file folder or one of those sheet protector things. If you use the sheet protector you will want to trim two fo the edges so that you can open it up like a file folder. You will also need 2 coordinating colors of reinkers, 2 pieces of glossy white (or light colored) cardstock and a brayer. That's it! So, you open up the file folder/page protector and put a few drops of one of the inks on one side and a few drops of the other ink on the other side. Then close the file folder/page protector and "smush" them together. Air pockets in the "smushing" is good...it's even really good! Place your two pieces of glossy cardstock back to back with the glossy sides facing out. Open the file folder/page protector and place the cardstock on one side and close the file folder/page protector. Use your brayer to roll over the outside of the file folder/page protector. Keep rolling until you like the look of the ink on the cardstock. Open up the file folder/page protector and take out the cardstock. Set is aside to let it air dry. You now have enough to make TWO cards or other projects! Here are the items I used to make this card.

Stamp sets: Punch Potpourri, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Whisper White, Glossy White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point

Other: Big Shot, Elegant Lines embossing folder, Rich Razzleberry 1/8" Taffeta ribbon, glue dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, XL 2 Step Bird punch, Curly Label punch, page protector, brayer

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up! (except the page protector)